All Because Of A Book
by Xiime Flyzik
Summary: James decides this is the last time he will bother Lily asking her out. If she says no, he will step aside and try to move on... but how will he approach her to make the last time special so it can work? / Crappy summary, the story's better!


**Author's Note:** I am not an English native speaker so I apologize for any grammatical mistake you might find. (But feel free to let me know if you find them so I can correct them.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the Harry Potter world nor the characters. I just like writing, all credits go to the amazing JKR.

* * *

"Come on, Pads! I'm being serious here!" James cried desperately "It's impor..."

"No, you're not." Sirius, his best friend, interrupted him with a cheeky grin. "You're being you and I'm supposed to be Evans, so no one's being Sirius right now, unless you want to bring Moony or Wormtail up here to do it."

"I swear I will hex your balls off and charm a Slytherin scarf to tie itself around your neck 24/7 if you don't shut up." the boy with glasses exclaimed sitting on the bed and burying his face on his hands.

"Okay, okay Jamie, relax. It was just a joke" the grey eyed boy apologized and sat down next to him.

"I know Padfoot, I'm sorry. It's just that I want everything to be perfect. It's my last chance."

"I know Prongs, come on, let's do it!" Sirius said and both boys stood up, facing each other, ready to continue with the rehearsal.

* * *

It was five hours later when the two boys were seen outside their dormitory for the first time since lunch that day. They were on the Gryffindor common room playing a game of Explosive Snap while Remus and Frank Longbottom played chess next to them.

"You know Prongs, I really think you have a chance this time." said Sirius looking up from the game.

"You do?"

"Yeah... I mean, not any guy would do something like what you've planned. She's gonna think of it as the sweetest thing a guy has ever done for her and she will realize she's in love with you or something. It'll be easy, you'll see."

"Yeah... easy..." James mumbled, his mind wandering elsewhere. Most precisely, wherever those emerald eyes and that red hair were in that moment.

It was easy for Sirius to say it. He could have any girl he wanted -or guy for that matter- and he didn't care about falling in love, he just used girls to have a good time and then he was off to find someone else. Everyone knew it, but no one missed the chance of being with him even if it meant being used.  
James, on the other hand, believed in true love and he just wanted to be with Lily Evans, even if it took him ages to get her to say yes. It just felt wrong to him to be with someone else when his heart already belonged to her...and he had gained himself countless jokes from his best friend for telling him that he felt that way.

"Oi, James! Are you even listening?"

"What? Sorry, I got lost in thoughts."

"Well, you'd better come back to real life because Lily has just entered the room." said Remus, eyes focused on the chessboard and a small smile on his lips. He knew of James' plans and was sure Lily would love it.

"Shit... wish me luck guys!" he said, standing up, silently memorizing everything he wanted to say.

"You can do it, Prongs!" Sirius, Remus and Peter -who had just arrived from detention- told him.

"Good luck James" said Frank, followed by a curse because Remus had beaten him again.

"I can't do it." James announced, panic evident on his voice. "I'll mess it up and she'll hate me and she won't talk to me anymore. I will ruin all I've done; now that I finally got her to talk to me without hexing me, I have to go and mess everything. Merlin, I'm such an arsehole. How could I have ever thought this was a good idea?" He was talking extremely fast and once he was finished, he spent a good two minutes taking deep breaths until his breathing was back to normal.

"JAMES CHARLUS POTTER!" Sirius yelled, loud enough to make the whole room stare at him. "You can do it and you will. I did not, I repeat, I did NOT spent five damn hours of my precious time locked in the dormitory with you so you could back down on the last minute. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear" James said, nodding repeatedly. It wasn't every day that Sirius scolded him.

"Aren't you in Gryffindor? Where's your bloody courage?! Go!"

"Yes... I'm a Gryffindor, I can do it."

He walked the short distance to where Lily was talking with her friends Alice and Marlene, gathering all his courage in every step, until he was face to face with the girl he loved.

"Hey Lily... can I talk to you for a moment?" he asked, eyes fixed on the floor.

"Sure James... what is it?"

He took a deep breath, looked her in the eyes and after a minute that felt like an eternity he finally spoke.

"I certainly deserved all your accusations. As an only son, I was brought up to be selfish and to consider myself superior to others. I would have continued like that if you, dearest, loveliest Lily had not taught me a lesson. I owe you a great deal for that."

"You are too generous to play with my feelings. If you still feel as you did last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged but one word from you will prevent me from ever mentioning them again."

He spoke without taking his eyes from Lily's not even for a second, and when he finished, he could see the surprise, the uncertainty and something quite similar to affection on them.

"Oh my, James... I-I... How?" She managed to ask, stuttering a little.

"I overheard you talking to Alice -I swear I wasn't eavesdropping- and telling her that Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen was your favourite book ever and that it made you wish for a love as true and pure as the one between Elizabeth and Darcy that can overcome everything that is put on its way... so I asked Remus about it, you know, 'cause his mom's muggle and I know nothing about muggle culture and he got me a copy of the book and I've been reading it in every free moment I've had since then."

"At first I read it just to impress you, but then I really really liked it because I could see a bit of you and me on the main characters and I realized that if you haven't given me the time of day for the past six years, maybe you really don't like me but I had to try and show you one last time that I truly like you and that I've actually changed, and maybe you would be willing to give me a chance... but if you don't, then I will stop bothering you because I like getting on well with you and I don't want to be in the receiving end of one of your hexes just because I pissed you off. And please say something because I'm beginning to ramble and I'm talking more than I probably should." he explained, looking from Lily to the floor and vice-versa.

"I... I don't know what to say..." she said and James felt his heart breaking. "It was so sweet, James, that you read my favourite book and actually quoted it. I'm quite speechless, and I dare say that doesn't happen often."

"But I must say that my feelings have changed, quite a lot actually. I think that spending time with you doing Heads' duties have something to do with that, because I got to know you better and I could see you're not the insufferable idiot you used to be. And it's safe to say that I quite like you, Potter."

At that, James immediately looked up with a smile that almost covered his whole face, and Lily was blushing slightly due to her own confession but she had a small smile adorning her features.

"You do? Like, you like me as in like like?"

"Yes silly, I like you as in I _really_ like you" she said, trying not to laugh at James' words, putting emphasis on 'really'.

"This is not a dream, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"Okay then... my dearest, loveliest Lily, would you go out on a date with me?"

"Yes"

"I've waited seven years to hear you say that word and it was definitely worth the wait."

Lily pulled him into a hug, placing her arms around her neck; he grabbed her by the waist and began turning around in circles, making her giggle and tighten the hold she had of him. He felt much happier than he had ever felt before and it was all thanks to that girl with emerald eyes and red hair.

* * *

"James?" Lily asked from the door. She had been looking for her husband everywhere and couldn't find him, until she reached the library. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry Lils... what were you saying?" he said as he put a book back in the bookcase and then turned to look at his wife.

"I asked if everything was alright. I searched the whole house looking for you."

"Sorry, I got lost in thoughts."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes... I just came across your copy of Pride and Prejudice" he said with a smile "and I was lost in the memories of that day"

"You know..." she said, getting closer until she hugged him from behind "That was the sweetest thing someone has ever done for me."

"Sirius told me you'd say that... that day before I approached you, he said 'She will think of it as the sweetest thing a guy has ever done for her and she'll realize she's in love with you'."

"He can be pretty wise when he wants to."

"Yeah, he can." James whispered, hugging his wife and resting his chin on her head. "I love you my loveliest Lily"

"I love you too Jamie."

She looked up and placed a soft kiss on his lips, making him smile. It had been three years since that day and they still loved each other like when they were seventeen, if not more... and it all had been because of a book.

* * *

Hope you liked this one-shot! Let me know what you think :) xx


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